Wichita eagle., 1887-10-20

Remorse overwhelmed me at last / con
fessed all tony father, broke my engagement
and, leaving home and friends behind me, en-
listed in the army. I sought death Thos,
who seek him he shuns. l was called BRAY,
man. Who that hated life would not b.
bravea When you knew me l wore the cap
tain's epauletteS
/ need not tell you OF my soldiers life or o.
the wounds by which was invalided.
Hearing Of them, my father, who had a,
last forgiven me, bestowed upon me his par
don and gave me his little place at St Sau
veur. Here have lived ever since, helpless
shattered wreck, almost incapable Of motion
1t is five years since l came here, and at the
end OF tho second began the Incredible part OF
my story.
MY temper, as you know. was none Of the
| best, and | hated the sight OF man at times.
! Greatly as l needed him, l often drove nv
attached old soldier servant from me, and
one day when had done this / sat alone In
my great chair by the seward window of
my sleeping apartment, when very strange
thing happened to ME. felt hand upon
my head. 1t was wouians hand, soft and
warm and gentle. 1t trifed with my curls
in fashion that thrilled me with memories
! Of the past.
| I was not frightened. / was simply per-
picked. Ispoke. 1 said: rs some one near
me whom do not seer But there was nc
answer. Soon fell asleep, IuIled as a babe
might be by IT'S mothers sa~esses by that
| phantom touch.
| This happened more than once. Then still
| stranger things occurred | became aware
that some ministering creature was near me
afN
| my need without any visible human agency.
Books were brought within my reach
Flowers We're plucked from the vines without
the door. A glass of wine was poured out
and set before me. and after all these little
offices came soft caresses. A kiss, touch of
hand upon my cheek The most loving and
tender being was this sprite, and / longed to
see it with longing indescribable. / was no
longer unhappy. grew almost gay still
drove my servant away. but it was that this
unseen being might manifest itself to me-
You, my dear friend, remember used to
congratulate me on my recovered spirits.
never told you the cause. dreaded that
revelation of the truth might drive away my
spirit love forever from my side
I have told you all that there Is to tell. I
think. After all, when one comes to write it
few words: Whenever | was alone this un-
seen form was beside me. At night felt a
woman's cheek against my own, a hand upon
my brow, a breath mingling with my own;
by day there was a loving. ministering crea-
ture at my side. l prayed for an audible
word, for one glimpse of this fond being,
over and over again, but l heard and saw
nothing. The longing within me grew in
- !. 1 Al
had been given me. At last my prayer was
answered. My own hand was seized Us l sat
at my writing table. Great irregular char
acters were dashed across the paper. They
read thus:
You ask for what would give you pain.
Let matters remain as they are. One Is near
you who loves you so that her spirit has won
its way earthward to minister unto you"
l wrote beneath these lines: LET me see
her,"
And then this was written: You shall
have your way. Tonight you shall see her"
How l waited for to-nights coming! How
eagerly my eyes sought to pierce the shadows
of the gathering twilight l sent my servant
away upon all GRAND which must detain him
for hours and l forbade him to light a lamp.
As the shadows thickened / grew more and
more restless. Had been deceived! Would
my wish actually be gratfiedi Where were
the hands that were usually lowering about
me? What was this feeling OF loneliness and
desolation? My eyes wandered from spot TO
spot. They saw nothing. The room grew
dark. 1t was moonless night and only the
pale stars looked in between my window
curtains. Still ! watched, growing hopeless |
fearing that | had driven nv ministerinS
spirit from me; but at Iast-at last, as | sat |
staring into vacancy, q light more brilliant |
than the star light filed the room. AS il |
grew low, soft breathing like that of muf- |
fed drum fell upon my ear, and slowly, amid |
the soft, hazy radiance, picture began to |
grOw-a female figure lying prone, with its |
hands upon its breast, and a wealth of hair |
falling about it like veil At first a mere |
outline, at last vivid in every form and tint
a dead woman; with eyes half open, and pale |
lips apart-a beautiful, awful thing-Arlioe,
as had seen her last, in the awful silence of
the morgue
Ny friend the time is coming fast when |
shall pass into the world she has 50 long in
ha 5ited. Shall | meet her theref am not
worthy, and | know it we'll, but il a parted
human SOUL the soul of weak and rash
woman like airline, can thus forgive, what
may We not hope from nm august Creatori /
await the hour; that sweet spirit comes no
more to me. The bonds Of life are breaking
Beyond the darkness a faint light is shining. |
and it may be that her hands shall clasp
mine yet somewhere beyond the reach Of sin
and sorrow.
Adieu, my friend Whether thou believest
me mad or not, thou shalt know NY story.
Thine, ADoLPH LIE MAR
Col. Mestayer folded the paper and placed
t in his bosom. He shed few tears over il.
md he pOndered over il many hours.
Whether be thought his poor friend mad 10
10, know. He did not say so when he handed
he manuscript: 10 me-, nor have formed any
upon the subject - From the
French.
There are twenty morning and ten even
ne papers published In New York